Tamper for cigarette machine feeds



May 24, 1 932. G. w. GWINN TAMPER FOR CIGARETTE MACHINEFEEDS Filed May27, 1931 ATTORNEY Patented May 24, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT. CEF

. GEORGE WILBUR GWINN, OF HEWLETT, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TOAMERICAN MACHINE i & FOUNDRY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF W JERSEY} r r r TAMPER FORCIGARETTE MAG IEE FEEDS Application filed May 27,

This invention relates to an improvement i 5 homogeneous density on thetobacco feed drum so as to deliver a uniform shower of tobacco to thefeed chute suspended over the rod-forming paper strip. The principalfeature of this invention comprises .an improved tobacco tamping devicewhich constantly presses the tobacco to the feed drum in uniformdensity. With this and other objects not specifically mentioned in view,the V invention consists in certain constructions 16 and combinationswhich will be hereinafter fully described and then specifically setforth in the claims hereunto appended.

The improved tamper consists of a plural- V ity of heavy compactor ringswith toothed, fluted or corrugated peripheries which hang loosely sideby side on a shaft extending across the entire tobacco hopper and reston the tobacco, pressing the same by their weight 7 against therevolving tobaccofeed drum, thus assuring a compacted, even layer oftobacco between the pins of said drum, thereby eliminating bare andhollow spots.

The tobacco in the hopper not only tends to form an uneven surface onthe feed drum but is of varying density along the same, es-

pecially when the hopper is newly filled; but the weight of thecompactor rings compresses the tobacco against the feed drum and thusevens the density so that a uniform layer en- 'ters between the pins ofthe drum. The internal diameter of the compactor rings is much largerthan the shaft upon which they are hung so that no matter how uneven thesurface of the tobacco on the feed drum, each portion of the surfacereceives an equal amount of compression. The supporting shaft of thecompactor rings is mounted in two pivoted arms, thus forming ayieldingly mounted support for the compactor rings.

If desired, gears may be provided on the compactor ring supportingshaft, the external teeth of each gear engaging withthe inner surface ofone of the compactor rings, which for this purpose are provided with in-'ternal teeth. The shaft may be driven by 1931. Serial No. 540,429.

suitable means, thereby rotating the rings and producing a positive feedof the tobacco to the picker pins of the feed drum. This vation of acigarette machine tobacco feed to showing the improvedtamping device,and Fig. 2 is a sectional front elevation' on line 22 of Fig. 1.

' In carrying the invention into effect is provided a tobacco feeddrum,.a support and a plurality of relatively large compactor ringssurrounding the support and urgedb-y gravity toward said drum. In thebest forms of construction-contemplated,the support in;

cludes a shaft supported by pivoted arms and provided. with gears havingexternal, teeth meshing with internal teeth on the compactor rings.These various means andparts may bev widely vvaried in constructionwithinthe. scope ofthe claims for the particular device selected toillustrate the inventionisbut one of many possible concrete embodimentsof the same. The invention, therefore, is not to be; 7 restricted to.the specific construction shown.

and described. 1 1

The tobacco feed of a continuous rod 'cigarette machine consists of atobacco hopper 5 in which revolves the carded tobacco feed drum 6 andthe carded refuser or. scraper drum 7 both rotating inthe samedirection. Feed drum 6 is equipped with picker pins 8 while scra or drum7 carriesscraper pins, 9.. Pins 8 pic up the tobaccoT in the-hopper 5and pins 9 scrape the surplus protruding from the pins8, allowing onlythe tobacco in the pickerrpin spaces to be carried away by the feed drum6. i I v A shaft 10 placed above feed drum 6 is suspended by arms 11pivoted onstuds 12 mount-v ed in the side 'framesgl3 of the hopper, thearms 11 resting on stops 14 when the hopper is empty. Shaft 10 carriesapulley 15" driven through a belt 16' from a pulley 17 on stud 12 whichis connected by'a belt 18 with the main driveof the. machine. Along theentire length of shaft lo withincompactor rings, thus preventing tobaccothe hopper 5 are provided gears 19 separated from each other bynarrowspacer discs 20. Upon'each of these gears is hung a heavy ring 21having an internal diameter much larger than the diameter of the gears19 and provided with internal teeth 22 meshing with the external teethof the gears 19. When the hopper is filled, the rings 21 rest on theirregular surface of the tobacco on the feed drum, and, owing to theirlarge internal clearance, not only can readily find their level but cango up and down with the tobacco mass which varies during the run of themachine. Thus, each ring bears on the varying tobacco mass with an equalpressure at all times, producing auniformly compacted tobacco layer atthe surface of the mass and, since this layer 7 is constantly pressed bythe compactor rings into: the. spaces between the pins 8 of the feeddrum 6, all the pins of the latter will-pick up equal amounts oftobacco, insuringan even and homogeneous layer on the same.

The spacer discs 20, which guide the movement of the compactor rings,are made large enough to cover the internal clearance of the from"entering the ring holes, and the end discs 23 have a diameter sufficientto cover up the slots 24 provided in the end walls of tobacco chamber 5to receive the ends of the shaft 10 and permit upward motion of thepivoted arms 11 whenever the mass of tobacco on the feed drumaccumulates suificient- 1y to press the comp-actor rings upwardlyagain'stthe gears 19 on sh'aft'10,

To prevent tobacco ina newly filled hopper from reaching the scraperdrum 7 over the tops of thecompactor rings, a revolving rake 25 isprovided which extends across the entire width of the hopper.

Since the rotation of the feed drum 6 causes the tobacco mass incontactwith it to partake of its motion, the compactor rings, which bear ontlllS moving mass, Wlll also be rotated so that it will ordinarily notbe necessary to rotate the same by positive means. Therefore, thegears19 and the driving means 15, 16, 17 and 18 of shaft 10 may beomitted and the compactor rings made with smooth internal surfaceresting directly on shaft 10, in this manner greatly simplifying thearrangement.

What is claimed is 2 1. The combination with a tobacco feed drum, ofasupport arranged above said drum,

drum, of a support yieldinglymounted above saidgdrum, and. a pluralityofrelativelyilarge compactor rings surrounding said support and urged bygravity toward-said drum, said rings being provided with internal teeth,and said support including a shaft and external teeth meshing with saidinternal teeth.

4. The combination with a tobacco feed drum, of a support yieldinglymounted above said drum, and a plurality of relatively large compactorrings surrounding said support and urged by gravity toward said drum,said support including a. shaft provided with pivoted arms forsupporting it.

5. The combination with means for providing a supply of tobacco, of acarded tobacco feed surface passing through the supply, a supportarranged above and transversely of said surface, and a row of compactorrings loosely surrounding said support for independent movement bygravity toward the tobacco supply overlying said surface. I i

6. The combination with a tobacco feed drum, of a support arrangedabovesaid drum, a-plurality of compactor rings loosely 'sur rounding saidsupport for independent move-' ment toward and away from the drum anddisks fitting said support between said rings for preventing one of saidrings from com m'unicatin said movement to the adjacent rings. v e

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name'to this specification.

GEORGE WILBUR GWiNu;

